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Greetings!
We hope everyone had a wonderful winter season! Here at Children's Dentistry Group, we had a very productive winter. A large part of that was due to Children's Dental Health Month in February, where we again offered community services to schools, parent groups, and childhood learning centers.
Sincerely,
Dr. Paul D. Herer, Dr. Melissa J. Patenio and the CDG Team
Children's Dentistry Group, LLC
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Office Décor and What to Expect at the First Visit
At our office, we want to have as much interaction with the children as possible. We want their dental visit to be very productive, educational, and an overall positive experience. For these reasons, we do not have televisions, video games or any other technological devices that would act as a distraction to the children. When you walk into our office, the main focus is our fish tank. Our office consists of calming colors and pictures. We have books and puzzles for the children to play with, but our goal is to not have any patients wait in the lobby for an extended period of time. Also for this reason, we do not have electronic gadgets at our office. When we bring the children back for their dental cleanings, or any other procedure, our hygienist, assistants, and doctors like to engage them in everything that is going on. We want the children to be immersed in their dental visit for a few different reasons. If it is your child's first visit, they might have a little fear or apprehension. Really involving them in the appointment puts the child at ease and shows them how visiting the dentist is a fun experience. For older children, as well as younger ones, we want to express how important proper oral hygiene is and why good oral health is essential in maintaining good overall health. The disruption of electronic devices does not allow us to do a thorough job educating and involving your child in their dental visit.
Many thanks to Jake and Rowan! |
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Sippy Cups
Decay can occur as soon as teeth appear in the mouth. A major factor for early childhood caries, which we discussed in a previous newsletter, is the frequent exposure of sugary liquids to a baby's teeth. This is often called baby bottle decay. When a baby is put to bed with a bottle containing milk, formula or even fruit juice, the prolonged exposure to these sugars can potentially destroy the teeth. This also includes babies who breastfeed. Extended nursing throughout the day and night can severely damage a child's teeth. The only liquid children should be consuming at night after brushing is water. When toddlers begin to use sippy cups, it is important to remember that these cups can be just as damaging to the teeth as bottles. Sippy cups are essentially baby bottles in disguise. The common ones are "no spill" cups and they force the child to suck not sip. Another harmful element to sippy cups is when children run around with them. Toddlers often fall down and are unsteady on their feet. If a child were to fall while drinking from a sippy cup, they could endure a severe oral injury. Instead of sippy cups, we encourage the use of training cups, which allow the child to actually sip the liquid. Parents need to monitor what is being put in the cups and limit the frequency your child uses it. It is also vital that children are not put to bed with these cups or bottles. We greatly encourage the consumption of water by children and the use of training cups instead of sippy cups. It is also important to note that once the training cup as achieved its purpose, the child should graduate to using a normal cup.
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Oral Piercings
Oral piercings are one of today's most popular forms of body art and teenagers use piercings as a form of self-expression. Teenagers are constantly trying to fit in and find their place in the world. For some teens, oral piercings are a way to be cool and adventurous. They think these piercings are safe because celebrities have them and it is hard for teenagers to fully understand the adverse affects of these piercings. The truth is oral piercings are not as safe as people think. Piercing the lips, cheek, tongue or uvula lay the ground for infection. Since the mouth is a moist environment, it breeds large amounts of bacteria. After a person gets an oral piercing, infections and unfavorable side affects can occur. Among these side affects are pain, swelling, gum injuries, hypersensitivity, nerve damage, increased saliva flow, scar tissue, and cracked teeth. An oral piercing can also interfere with speech, chewing and swallowing. They are also a choking hazard and some people endure severe allergic reactions to certain metals, causing swelling of the airway. Infections from these piercings can be life-threatening because the bacteria in the mouth can enter the piercing site and travel to the heart. These are just a few of the many negative consequences caused from an oral piercing. |
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Summer Safety
We are all looking forward to summer! We would just like to remind everyone about the importance of a proper, well-balanced diet and playground safety. Throughout the summer season we tend to eat more 'treats' and snacks, but it is important to remember how damaging these can be to our children's teeth. Foods that contain large amounts of sugar, like cookies, candy and gummy's, should be very limited and only given as a special treat. Pop is another product that should be given only on a very limited basis. Even juice contains a lot of sugar. The bacteria in our mouth mix with the sugars in these products and turn them into an acid. This acid is what form cavities. In-between snacking should be kept to a minimum and three square meals a day should be encouraged. If your child wants to snack on an occasional basis, promote foods like fruits and vegetables. Drinking plenty of water throughout the day is greatly recommended. After snacking, it is best to brush your child's teeth so any food particles are not left sitting on the teeth. If that is not possible, rinsing the mouth with water is the next best thing.
During the summer, children are more active outside and engage in various sporting activities. As stated in a previous newsletter, mouth guards come highly recommended by Drs. Herer and Patenio. Mouth guards greatly reduce the risk of a child enduring a traumatic mouth injury while participating in a sport. They minimize the risk of soft tissue injuries and broken teeth. Even children in orthodontic appliances can wear mouth guards. There are custom and stock guards. Drs. Herer and Patenio can consult you on the best choice for your child. As your children are registering for sports, just keep in mind the traumatic mouth injuries they can endure and how a mouth guard could help prevent them from happening.
If your child falls while playing outside or on the playground and you suspect a mouth injury, contact our office immediately. Even if it is not during business hours, you will be connected to either Dr. Herer or Dr. Patenio's cell phone number. Many times, children are taken to the emergency room when they sustain a mouth injury. Parents end up waiting hours in the ER, only to be told to contact a dentist. We want to avoid this situation from happening because it is best to take care of any oral injury as soon as possible. Time spent in the hospital could have been time used to treat the injury. If your child suffers from any sort of oral injury, contact our office immediately.
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School Exams
As part of the growing awareness to take preventive measures against tooth decay, schools began requiring dental examinations. As stated in the previous newsletter, 51 million school hours are lost due to dental-related illnesses, so the school exams were put in place to help subdue these numbers. In July 2005, school dental examinations became required for kindergarten, second, and sixth grades, including some ninth grades and home-schooled children. This is mandatory of all public and private schools. Examinations must be performed by a licensed dentist and he/she must sign a form as proof of the exam. |
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Please Don't Be Bashful
If you have any questions regarding pediatric dental health, please feel free to contact us by phone: 847-726-0300 or by email: info@childrensdentistrygroup.com. If you have a family member or friend with a child, please feel free to forward this newsletter to them. Thank you.
We wish everyone a very happy and safe summer!
Drs. Paul Herer, Melissa Patenio and the CDG Team
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Children's Dentistry Group, LLC
195 South Rand Road
Suite 110
Lake Zurich, Illinois 60047
847-726-0300
Paul D. Herer, DMD, MS
Melissa J. Patenio, DDS, MS
www.ChildrensDentistryGroup.com
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